Alter Tab
by blottyparchment
Summary: This is set in a parallel universe. Miroku belongs to a family of exorcists who many youkais have borne hatred on. While Sango comes from a family of ruthless assasins who prefer to be called warriors. They have served Miroku's family as bodyguards...


Hello. I'm not so sure if the details I weave into my fic are correct or not, or for a matter of fact, close to the storyline of Inuyasha. This is my first time writing an Inuyasha fic. The story is set in a parallel universe - a crossing of modern and feudal times. Rest and relax guys.

Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi…the usual things to say.

Dread washed over the little boy every time his father, Gen Ishitori, took him to the soothsayer's temple for an annual visit. Every visit to the soothsayer meant having a tiny glimpse of his future. And there was only one thing he feared the most of knowing about.

"Kanna-sama, I have come for your portents, as usual," Gen told the juvenescent albinic form sitting directly in front of them.

Kanna the soothsayer, she never seemed to have aged past seven years all this time. Snow-haired and with vacuous eyes, the oracle was always seen holding a round mirror facing the opposite way. However one squinted his eyes to peer at the mirror, no image was ever reflected on it, only appearing misty white. It gave a person eerie feelings.

"Leave me alone with him," said Kanna. Her voice was wispy, as if it was the breeze blowing down upon the ground.

"Miroku," was the sole word Gen uttered. He got up on his feet and headed towards the sliding screens.

Miroku's head immediately snapped up. Please don't leave me, please, he pleaded to the back of his father. He felt weak as the screen slid close.

It was inexplicable. The idea of being left alone with the soothsayer in that antechamber frightened the ten-year old child. Miroku shifted his gaze towards her and found Kanna staring straight at him. A cold chill coursed through his body. He felt like he was being hypnotized by the nihility of the snow-haired oracle.

"It is interesting..." began the soothsayer.

Alter Tab

( An Inuyasha Fic)

***Chapter 1: Recurring Storms***

An enshrouded figure moved along through the throng of the night crowd. He managed the hustle-tussle without any difficulty. Here and there, puzzled and curious glances were thrown his way. The person did not care much for it.

"Darn it!" cursed the enshrouded figure, abruptly stopping in the middle of the streets. The words were almost inaudible. They came out muffled, as half of his face was covered by a mask.

Pursuing a different route, he dislodged himself from the stream of bodies moving forward. The solitary individual stood to one side.

"Where could he have gone to, that person?!"

*****

The lady had not meant to bump into him. She had been in such a hurry, walking head-on, that she was not paying much attention to what lay ahead of her. Her disoriented mind brought her to collide into the young man going the opposite direction. The purse she was clutching flew out of her hand, personal belongings scattering all over the ground.

Bending over her knees, the lady gathered her possessions. She was taken by surprise when she found two other hands helping her pick up her things. One hand was leather-gloved.

"Let me help you, miss," said a voice. The woman lifted her eyes up and met the eyes of the person she bumped into. She was dumbfounded by his act and by the man himself. Here was a handsome young guy with dark hair and coal eyes.

"Here." The man had her belongings bundled up in his hands, which were put forward. He smiled openly at the woman.

The lady continued to stare at him for what seemed like an eternity, going into a dreamlike trance.

"Miss?"

The lady shook her head vigorously, falling back to earth. She pinched her cheeks to see if she was dreaming or not. Surely, the visage in front was tangibly solid. Then, she found her manners and expressed her gratitude, in a stuttering manner, to the person. "T-thank you very much."

She clumsily replaced her things in her purse and was surprised yet again to see the same pair of hands reach out to assist her in standing up. The woman took the offer, saying "thank you" another time.

The man smiled. "Of course I will not hesitate to come to the aid of a lovely woman such as you."

"I-I'm not that l-lovely…" disagreed the woman shyly, blushing.

"Why do you deny the truth? You are as pretty as – "

The moment was interrupted as a figure, fuming mad, stepped up to the man. "You! I've been looking all over for you!"

"Yikes! Sango! What are you doing here?" exclaimed the man in a loud voice. Then, in a softer voice, he said, with a hint of annoyance, "and I thought I lost her…."

"I heard that, Ishitori-sama!"

The bystander looked from one to the other. The person called Sango was a figure wrapped in a loose black robe and hair covered by a headgear. To top it off, she hid the lower half of her face behind a mask. Whilst the man named Ishitori seemed entirely helpless as he was being attacked aggressively. The woman was thinking that these two might be a couple. They looked very much like it. She excused herself amidst the row and fled away unnoticed.

"Why do you always run off without telling me?!" Sango was yelling. She clenched her fists tightly.

"Because," reasoned the Ishitori-person, " you hound me everywhere I go. I can't get any peace of mind whenever you're around."

Sango crossed her arms. "Well, I'm sorry Ishitori-sama. I'm just doing my job." _Even though, I don't like playing babysitter to a pain-in-the-ass._

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Stop calling me by my last name."

"I can't. Miroku is too informal, _Ishitori-sama_."

Miroku sighed. Things never change. But at least quarrel was over.

It was not the first time that this occurred. It happened not only twice or thrice but countless times. To Miroku Ishitori and Sango Kumori, they did such things on a regular basis that disputes were settled as easily as they were started.

"You missed your appointment with your client," Sango said pointedly.

Miroku's mouth formed into an 'o'. He pounded a fist on his palm and grinned carelessly. "You're right! Guess I forgot about it."

Sango turned livid. "What do you mean you forgot?! Well, of course you'd forgot because you'd rather chase women…"

"Uh-oh. Here we go again," muttered Miroku. Suddenly, he remembered about the lady she had been talking to just a while ago. "Oh yeah, where is she? Did she leave already?" he said to himself.

"There! You're thinking about women again!"

*****

For some reason, the drive home was very silent. Miroku's efforts were futile. He could not lighten up the mood Sango was in.

"Look, I'm sorry I made you search for me again," Miroku said quietly. He sat in the passenger's seat beside the driver's.

"That's not it," Sango replied tersely, concentrating on driving. Strange though it may sound that a woman was driving a man, she really conducted such a task. It was part of her job as personal guard.

"Okaaay. So, it's about that lady I was talking to before you cut in."

"Wrongo."

"Then what is it? Why won't you talk to me in more than three words?!"

"Think hard."

"I didn't treat you to dinner?"

"Before that."

Miroku pondered hard. What happened before he ate dinner outside? "That would have to be when I bumped into that woman and you came along."

"Will you stop making me sound like a villain?!" snapped Sango, losing her cool. A fender-bender was barely avoided.

"Okay, okay!" Miroku put up his palms in defense. "I think I know what's making you so crabby right now – that meeting I missed with the client, right?"

"Bingo. If only you would be serious more often, we wouldn't be tracking down clients that we keep on failing to meet up with on time. You're an efficient worker but you always goof off someplace else."

The car slowed down as they round the driveway of the Ishitori residence. The house was a very big one, though antiquated and badly in need of repairs. The engine had already churned full stop but neither occupants dared to stir and get off the vehicle. There was a strange quietude inside the car that lingered for a long time before Miroku ventured to speak up.

"Why do you still serve as my bodyguard if you can't stand me?" Miroku asked.

Sango turned to look at Miroku, fixing her black eyes, the only part of her visible, on him. "Why? Do you think I'm not capable of being one?"

"Of course not. Your family has long served our family as protectors. I've seen what your father can do and I doubt that the Kumori females should be underestimated."

"Well you've said the answer yourself. Need I say more?"

"But, you're not bound by any responsibility, you're free to live a normal life now…since, you know…"

"You're wrong. I _am _bound by my duties. You know very well what those are. Excuse me." Sango alighted from the car, leaving Miroku to his musings.

I know. You're the last of your line. You swore to avenge the youkai that slaughtered your whole family. You believe, that by working with me, you'd eventually find him. Miroku thought.

Heaving a deep sigh, he opened the car door, got off, and slammed it shut. Going inside, the young man resigned himself to sleep.

Unknown by him and any other person, there was a slight rustling in the bushes nearby. The wind was dead, yet there it was. It was as if a small critter was hiding amongst the bushes. A pair of red beady eyes glistened in the night.

To be continued…

So how was it? Feedback is very welcome, good or bad. Tell me what you think. Now, you might ask why the title is Alter Tab. It's because the story happens in another time and situation. When you press alt + tab, you jump to another window in your computer, right? And another reason is because I cannot think of any other name. Hehe.


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